SendGrid Interview Questions
& Process

I applied for an entry level Database Administrator role and went through four rounds. The first round was a 30-minute screening with the recruiter, covering my background, interest in the role, and commute. I got an email confirmation for the next stage the same day. A couple days later, I had a 30-minute on-call call with the hiring manager. They asked basic technical questions about NoSQL databases and JOINs, plus some background questions. They also gave me time for my questions. I got an email for the next round the same day. The following week, I had a technical video call with the Principal DBA. It involved many questions about databases and MySQL, but nothing too tough. The week after that, I went to the office for the final round. I spoke with four people: a talent manager from Boulder, the Senior DBA, the manager from round 2, and the Principal DBA from round 3. The interviews with the DBAs were technical. I heard back a few weeks later that they went with another candidate. My overall experience was good, and everyone was polite.

Started with a 30m phone screening with HR. They asked if I knew about SendGrid and my role. Then a 30m phone interview with the Department Manager who wanted to see if I'd be a good fit. We discussed that it might be outside my career path, but they invited me for an on-site interview since I was still interested. The on-site involved five 30-45m interviews with a Product Designer, Project Manager, UX Researcher, Executive Assistant, and the UX Director. They asked a mix of technical and behavioral questions, and seemed keen on their 4Hs culture and the need for this role. I got an email saying I wasn't selected for the UX Research Coordinator role, but they offered to answer questions. I spoke with HR on the phone and they explained it was a step down, but they're interested in me after my master's. We're meeting for coffee later. It was a really positive experience, the team was super friendly, warm, and helpful. I'm looking forward to staying in touch!

I applied and got contacted by a recruiter who asked me about my past experiences and some general HR questions. Then, I had a technical phone interview with a web architect focusing on algorithms like finding unique values in an array. After that, I went for an on-site interview. First, I met two team members separately; they asked some technical questions, like explaining PHP code, but mostly focused on team fit. Then, I met a co-founder who asked about Hash Table implementation and company history. He then mentioned a final interview for a Release Engineer role, which was confusing, but said I'd be considered for that too. He mentioned getting good feedback and a final interview was coming. A few days later, I got an email saying I was rejected, apparently because the co-founder decided I wasn't a 'good fit' despite positive feedback and his comments on my intelligence and motivation.

It took SendGrid about two months to get back to me after I applied. The interview process involved four parts: a cultural fit interview with HR, a technical interview with the hiring manager, an onsite interview, and then another interview with a manager. I aced the cultural part and thought the technical interview went alright. I knew the technical interview was supposed to be tough, so I studied for it for a few days. I couldn't answer a couple of questions that were meant for more experienced developers. Even though they said it was okay not to know, I guess it ended up mattering. I got a generic rejection email from HR. The whole thing felt like it went against their 'honesty' cultural value, making me think they talk about it but don't actually live by it.